Insulator tie for line conductors



May 27, 1947.

R. D. PYLE Filed March 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 27, 1947. PYLEINSULATOR TIE FOR LINE CONDUCTOR Filed March 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented May 27, 1947 2,421,286 INSULATOR TIE FOR LINE CONDUCTORS RalphD. Pyle, Pleasant Hills, Pa., asslgnor to Copper-weld Steel Company,Glassport, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 24,1945, Serial No. 584,536

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a tie for securing transmission anddistribution line conductors to pin type and spool insulators.

Various forms of insulator ties have been proposed heretofore forsecuring conductors at their points of support. All such ties have beenopen to certain objections and it is accordingly an object of thisinvention to provide an improved tie which is simple and easy to applyand which largely eliminates the human element and personal skillrequired for application. The tie is effective in securing the conductorin such a manner as to minimize the danger of fatigue failure resultingfrom vibration and to eliminate chafing of the line wire due tolooseness of the tie.

In a preferred embodiment the invention comprises a pair of hard-drawnpreformed helical reinforcing wires, adapted to be applied to theconductor, having loops formed therein adapted to engage opposite sidesoi. an insulator, whereby the insertion of a binding wire through theloops and the twisting together of its ends serve to complete the tieand securely anchor the conductor to the insulator. The reinforcingwires when applied to the conductor have a relatively tight fit on theconductor since the inside diameter of the helix is substantially thesame as the diameter of the line conductor on which it is applied.

The details of the invention will be made clear during the followingcomplete description and explanation which refer to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating a preferred embodiment and certain modifications.In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view showing one form of tie;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a partial elevation of one of the reinforcing wires;

Figure 4 is a partial plan view thereof;

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 3 and 4 showing a modifiedform;

Figure 'I is an end elevation of the modified form;

Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing a furthermodified tie;

Figure 10 is an elevation of the reinforcing wire used in the lastmentioned modification;

Figure 11 is a plan view of a side tie embodying the invention; and

Figure 12 is an elevation thereof with parts in section.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a transmission or distributionline conductor i0 is adapted to rest in a groove II in the top of aninsulator I2.

The insulator is adapted to be 5g Figures 8 through 10 illustrate amounted on a pin secured to a pole or a crossarm carried thereby. A pairof substantially identical preformed helical reinforcing wires l3 and Hare applied to the conductor ill. The reinforcing wires have loops i5projecting therefrom intermediate their ends. The wires l3 and H areapplied to the conductor in spaced relation thereon so that the loops Itwill engage the sides of the insulator adjacent the top, as shown inFigure 2. The wires l3 and I4 overlap each other except for a shortdistance inwardly from the ends.

When the wires l8 and II have been applied to the conductor the lattermay be secured to the insulator by a binding wire iii. For this purposea suitable length of wire has its ends inserted through the loops l5 andtwisted together at ll.

It will be appreciated that the tie described above has the advantagethat no forming of wire is required on the job except the twistingtogether of the ends of the binding wire. This operation may readily beperformed with a pair of pliers, although special tools may be used tofacilitate this twisting of the binding wire. A further advantage isthat the reinforcing wires space the line conductor away from the bottomof the insulator groove and prevent any chafing action between the lineconductor and the insulator. Also the reinforcing wires being preformedhave a firm grip On the conductor insuring against chafing of theconductor by said reinforcing wires. The depth of the loops 15 should besuch that when the binding wire is tightened, the line conductor withthe reinforcing wires thereon will be held firmly in the insulatorgroove without bending the conductor over the sides of the insulator.The width and design of the loops, furthermore, should be substantiallyequal to the pitch of the helix so that the wire on each side of theloop is a continuation of the same helix.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of reinforcing wire l8which is generally similar to the wires l3 and I4 except that, insteadof an open loop l5, it has a closed loop or eye l9 intermediate theendsthereof. It will be apparent that this form of reinforcing wirefunctions in the same manner as those shown in Figures 1 through 4. Itis hardly necessary to state that the helical portions or thereinforcing wire obtain a tight grip on the line conductor by frictionso as to prevent longitudinal slippage of the conductor relative to theinsulator.

further modi- 3 fication of preformed helical reinforcing wire 20. Thisform of wire differs from those described above in that it has a closedloop or eye 2| adiacent one end. In securing a conductor II to aninsulator by this form of reinforcing wire, two

wires are applied with their eyes engaging opposite sides of theinsulator and the adjacent portions of the wires in overlappingrelation. The binding wire it is then applied by inserting its endsthrough the eyes 2 i. In this modification the conductor is again spacedaway from the insulator to insure against chafing. Furthermore, it isevident that the resistive pressures on the line conductor are confinedto the section over the insulator and are reduced by the bearing of thereinforcing wires on the insulator.

Figures 11 and 12 show a side tie for securing the conductor in to theinsulator I! in the circumferential groove I2a thereof. This tie, likethat shown in Figures 8 and 9, requires two reinforcing wires 20, theOnly difference being that the eyes 2i thereof project laterally fromthe conductor instead of downwardly. A binding wire 22 has its endsbrought around the insul tor from the side opposite that on which theconductor is disposed, and passed through the eyes 2|. The ends of thewire 22 are then bent back on themselves, taken back around theinsulator and twisted together as at 23, to complete the tie.

The invention is characterized by an important advantage in that thepreformed helical reinforcing wires constitute the connection from theconductor to the binding wire so that there is no contact between thelatter and the line conductor. This overcomes the danger of chafing ofthe line conductor by the binding wire which is one of the faults ofties made entirely by hand. Such ties when improperly applied, or ifthey become loose due to vibration, can cause chafing of the lineconductor. The personal skill or human element involved in applyinghand-wrapped ties is largely eliminated by this improved type of tie.

A further advantage is the fact that the loops in the reinforcing wiresmay be properly dimen sioned to give just the right amount of down pull,without causing any localized bending of the line conductor which wouldtend to hasten fatigue failure. The use of two reinforcing wires to formthe tie is an advantage in that they can readily be applied to theconductor so that insulators of various sizes may be accommodated by theloops formed by the wires.

Although I have illustrated and described but a few preferredembodiments of the invention, it will be understood that changes in thedetails thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Atie for-securing aline conductortoaninsulator comprising twoseparate substantially identical, hard-drawn, pr formed, helioll,reinforcing wires adapted to be wrapped around the conductor, said wiresbeing thereby efiective to secure a tight frictional grip on theconductor, each wire having an ofiset loop formed therein. the wiresbeing disposed on the conductor one on each side of the insulator, inpartly overlapping relation, their loo s engaging opposite sides or theinsulator, and a binding wire extending around the insulator and throughthe loops of said reinforcing wires to secure the latter to theinsulator.

2. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are locatedintermediate the ends of said wires.

3. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops areU-shaped.

4. An insulator tie as defined byrclaim 1 wherein said loops aresubstantially closed.

5. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops are closedand located intermediate the ends of said reinforcing wires.

6. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops aresubstantially closed and located at one end of each of said reinforcingwires.

7. An insulator tie as defined by claim 1 wherein said loops areU-shaped and located intermediate the ends of the wires.

8. A tie for securing a line conductor to an insulator comprising twoseparate substantially identical hard-drawn, preformed, helical,reinforcing wires wrapped around and frictionally engaging theconductor, each wire having an oflset loop formed therein, the wiresbeing wrapped on the conductor in partly overlapping relation, withtheir loops engaging opposite sides of the insulator, and means engagingsaid loops and securing said reinforcing wires and said conductor to theinsulator.

RALPH D. PYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 534,169 Myers Feb. 12, 1895867,901 Barclay Oct. 8, 1907 2,263,728 Gordon et a1 Nov. 25, 19412,182,342 Karitzky Dec. 5, 1939 2,202,538 Selquist May 28, 19402,414,045 Kitselman et a1. Jan. 7, 1947

